Two children killed and nine injured – six critical and two adults critical in “ferocious” knife attack in Southport

Two children have been killed in a “ferocious” knife attack in Southport at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event.

Nine more children were injured, with six in a critical condition, after the incident late on Monday morning. Two adults also have critical injuries, Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.

Armed officers detained a male and seized a knife, with police later saying that a 17-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. The attack is not being treated as terror-related, police said.

In total, 11 patients with stab injuries were treated by the ambulance service and some were taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, which declared a major incident.

Here is what we know so far about the attack.

Police were called to reports of a stabbing at a property on Hart Street in Southport just before 11:50 BST on Monday.

Ms Kennedy said officers were “shocked” to find multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a “ferocious attack” and had suffered serious injuries.

Police believe a group of children were attending an event at a dance school when a person armed with a knife walked into the building and attacked those inside.

Two adults were critically injured “bravely” trying to protect the children from the attack, police believe.

As well as the two children who died, nine children were injured in the attack, six of them critically.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) said they had treated 11 casualties with stab injuries.

The victims were taken to Aintree University Hospital, Southport and Formby Hospital, and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

It added that 13 ambulances, specialised resources of its Hazardous Area Response Team (Hart), an air ambulance and doctors were dispatched.

Alder Hey declared a major incident, and told parents to bring their children to its emergency department only if it is urgent.

Air ambulance doctors delivered “advanced emergency care” for one patient and accompanied them to hospital by road, the Great North Air Ambulance service.

The incident happened at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance event in the Merseyside town of Southport, about 10 miles north of Liverpool.

The event was taking place at the Hope of Hart Children’s club, close to a vehicle repair garage, in Hart Street, roughly a mile east of the centre of town.

The holiday club was advertised as including a dance and yoga workshop as well as bracelet making, and aimed at primary school children in Year 2-Year 6.

It is thought to have been fully booked with 25 children attending.

At the scene, flowers and teddies had been left by the police cordon, with one message saying: “Fly high with angels little ones.”

Labour MP for Southport Patrick Hurley, who told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the area is waking up in “shock and grief”, said a vigil will take place on Tuesday evening.

Merseyside Police confirmed that armed police “detained a male and seized a knife” following the incident, and said there was no wider threat to the public.

The force later said a 17-year-old boy from Banks, a Lancashire village to the north of Southport, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the stabbing. He was originally from Cardiff, they added.

He will be questioned about the incident, and police said they are working to establish the motive for the attack.

Police confirmed that the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and said no one else is being sought in connection with it.

One witness said the person they believed to be the attacker arrived in a taxi wearing a face mask and refused to pay the fare.